Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Jesus H. Christ.

I'm watching the news. The funding of FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is under attack. The Republicans are lining up in an effort to tie any money spent on emergency aid to budget cuts.

Wait. What? I have just seen a commercial in which we see a house that has been destroyed in some calamity. It looked like it was taken yesterday or today in Vermont or New Jersey. It turned out to be a commercial for Insurance! What gall.

Michele Bachmann, comedy relief among the Republican Presidential candidates, came up with this little bit of humor Sunday night :

US House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is out there doing his usual imitation of extremely well tailored slime, insisting that any aid approved be paid for by budget cuts. Funny, he was happy enough to take FEMA money in his own state - and without budget cuts beforehand.

Florida just passed a law that limits welfare, unemployment monies, etc to those who are drug free in tests paid for by the worker (later reimbursed if it comes back "clean"). If you fail the test, no reimbursement, no welfare, unemployment, food stamps for a year, and then subject to a new drug test etc.

Meanwhile, the President has caved to the Speaker of the House - they were fighting because the President requested a chance to talk to the nation about jobs with both Houses of Congress present - the two will only be in session at the same time for two days. The speaker denied the President his request (something that has never happened before) as the Republicans have a Candidate for President debate that night. He suggested the next night - the National Football Leagues season opener. Obama caved.

Google maps took Route 9 - a major US Highway east west route, off the map between Brattleboro and Wilmington. That's how little is left.

Where are these people coming from? Where did they get these attitudes? Maybe the question is where have these folks been?